Buried Child (7 page)

DODGE:
She's a beautiful girl. Exceptional,
(VINCE
moves in front of
DODGE
to block his view of
SHELLY, DODGE
keeps eraning
his head around to see her as
VINCE
demonstrates tricks from his past)

VINCE:
Look. Look at this. Do you remember this? I used to bend my thumb behind my knuckles. You remember? I used to do it at the dinner table. Way back when. You told me, one day it would get stuck like this and I'd never be able to throw a baseball,
(VINCE
bends a thumb behind his knuckles for
DODGE
and holds it out to him.
DODGE
takes a short glance, then looks back at
SHELLY, VINCE
shifts position and shows him something else.)
What about this?
(VINCE
curls his lips back and starts drumming on his teeth with his fingernails, making little tapping sounds,
DODGE
watches a while,
TILDEN
turns toward the sound,
VINCE
keeps it up. He sees
TILDEN
taking notice and crosses to
TILDEN
as he drums on his teeth.
DODGE
turns the TV on and watches it.)
You remember this, Dad? Rooty-tooty? “St. James Infirmary”? “When the Saints Go Marching In”?
(VINCE
keeps on drumming for
TILDEN, TILDEN
watches a while, fascinated, then turns back to
SHELLY, VINCE
keeps up the drumming on his teeth, crosses back to
DODGE
doing it.
SHELLY
keeps working on the carrots, talking

tO
TILDEN.)

SHELLY:
(To
TILDEN.)
He drives me crazy with that sometimes.

VINCE:
(To
DODGE.)
I know! Here's one you'll remember. You used to kick me out of the house for this one.
(VINCE
pulls his shirt out of his belt and holds it tucked under his chin with his stomach exposed. He grabs the flesh on either side of his belly button and pushes it in and out to make it look like a mouth

talking. He watches his belly button and makes a deep-sounding cartoon voice to synchronize with the movement. He demonstrates it to
DODGE,
then crosses down to
TILDEN
doing it. Both
DODGE
and
TILDEN
take short, uninterested glances, then ignore him. Deep cartoon voice.)
“Hello. How are you? I'm fine. Thank you very much. It's so good to see you looking well this fine Sunday morning.” It's the same old me. Same old dependable me. Never change. Never alter one iota.
(VINCE
stops. Tucks his shirt back in.)

SHELLY:
Vince, don't be pathetic, will ya! They're not gonna play. Can't you see that?
(SHELLY
keeps cutting carrots,
VINCE
slowly moves toward
TILDEN, TILDEN
keeps watching
SHELLY.)

VINCE:
(To
SHELLY.)
I don't get it. I really don't get it. Maybe it's me. Maybe I forgot something.

DODGE:
(From the sofa.)
You forgot to get me a bottle! That's what you forgot. Anybody in this house could get me a bottle. Anybody! But nobody will. Nobody understands the urgency! Peelin’ carrots is more important. Playin’ piano on your teeth! Well, I hope you all remember this when you get up in years. When you find yourself immobilized. Dependent on the whims of others,
(VINCE
moves up toward
DODGE.
Pause as
VINCE
looks at him.
SHELLY
continues cutting carrots. Pause,
VINCE
moves around, stroking his hair, staring at
DODGE
and
TILDEN, VINCE
and
SHELLY
exchange glances,
DODGE
watches TV.)

VINCE:
Boy! This is amazing. This is truly amazing.
(Keeps moving around.)
What is this anyway? Am I being punished
here or what? Is that it? Some kind of banishment? Some kind of wicked warped exile? Just tell me. I can take it. Lay it on me. What was it? Did I betray some secret ancient family taboo, way back when? Did I cross the line somehow when I wasn't looking? What exactly was it?

SHELLY:
Vince, what are you doing that for? They don't care about any of that. They just don't recognize you, that's all. They don't have a clue.

VINCE
: How could they not recognize me?! How in the hell could they not recognize me?! I'm their son! I'm their flesh and blood. Anybody can see we're related.

DODGE:
(Watching TV)
You're no son of mine. I've had sons in my time—plenty of sons—but you're not one of ‘em. I know them by their scent.
(Long pause,
VINCE
stares at

DODGE.)

VINCE:
All right. All right, look—I'll get you a bottle. I'll get you a goddamn bottle.

DODGE
: You will?

VINCE:
Yeah, sure, you bet. If that's what it takes, I'll get you a bottle. Then maybe you can tell me what's going on here.

SHELLY:
You're not going to leave me here alone, are you?

VINCE:
(Moving to her.)
You suggested it! You said, “Why don't I go get him a bottle.” So I'll go get him a bottle! That's what I'll do. Maybe it'll help jar things loose.

SHELLY:
But I can't stay here by myself.

DODGE:
Don't let her talk you out of it! She's a bad influence. I could see it the minute she stepped in here.

VINCE:
Shelly I gotta go out for a while. I just gotta get outta here. Think things through by myself. I'll get a bottle and I'll come right back.

SHELLY:
I don't know if I can handle this, Vince.

VINCE:
You'll be okay. Nothing's going to happen. They're not dangerous or anything.

SHELLY:
Can't we just go?

VINCE:
NO! I gotta find out what's going on here. Something has fallen apart. This isn't how it used to be. Believe me. This is nothing like how it used to be …

SHELLY:
Look, you think you're bad off, what about me? Not only don't they recognize me but I've never seen them before in my life. I don't know who these guys are. They could be anybody!

VINCE:
They're not anybody!

SHELLY:
That's what you say.

VINCE:
They're my family for Christ's sake! I should know who my own family is! Now give me a break. It won't
take that long. I'll just go out and I'll come right back. Nothing'll happen. I promise,
(SHELLY
stares at him. Pause.)

SHELLY:
Unbelievable.

VINCE:
Nothing'll happen.
(He crosses up to
DODGE.)
I'm gonna go out now, Grandpa, and I'll pick you up a bottle. Okay?

DODGE:
Persistence, see? That's what it takes. Persistence. Persistence, fortitude, and determination. Those are the three virtues. That's how the country was
founded.
You stick with those three and you can't go wrong.
(Pointing off left.)
Money's on the table. In the kitchen,
(VINCE
moves toward

SHELLY.)

VINCE:
(To
SHELLY.)
You'll be all right, Shelly. I won't be too long.

SHELLY:
(Cutting carrots.)
I'll just keep real busy while you're gone. I love vegetables,
(VINCE
exits,
TILDEN
keeps staring down at
SHELLY
‘s
HANDS.)

VINCE:
(Reentering, to
TILDEN.)
YOU want anything, Dad?

TILDEN:
(Looks up at
VINCE.)
Me?

VINCE:
Yeah, you. “Dad.” That's you. From the store? I'm gonna get Grandpa a bottle. Do you want anything from the store?

TILDEN:
He's not supposed to drink. Halie wouldn't like it. She'd be disappointed.

VINCE:
He wants a bottle.

TILDEN:
He's not supposed to drink.

DODGE:
(To
vince.)
Don't negotiate with him! He's the one who stole my bottle! Don't make any transactions until you've spoken to me first! He'll steal you blind!

VINCE:
(
To
DODGE.)
Tilden says you're not supposed to drink.

DODGE:
Tilden's lost his marbles! Look at him! He's around the twist. Take a look at him. He's come unwound,
(VINCE
stares at
TILDEN, TILDEN
watches
SHELLY
's
hands as she keeps cutting carrots.)
Now look at me. Look here at me!
(VINCE
looks back to
DODGE.)
Now, between the two of us, who do you think is more trustworthy? Him or me? Can you trust a man who keeps bringing in vegetables from out of nowhere? Take a look at him.
(VINCE
looks back at
TILDEN.)

SHELLY
: Go get the bottle, Vince. Just go get the bottle.

VINCE:
I'll be right back,
(VINCE
crosses left.)

DODGE:
Where are you going?

VINCE:
I'm going to get the money.

DODGE:
Then where are you goin’?

VINCE:
Liquor store.

DODGE:
Don't go off anyplace else. Don't go off someplace and drink by yourself. Come right back here.

VINCE:
I will,
(VINCE
exits left.)

DODGE:
(Calling after
VINCE.)
You've got responsibility now! And don't go out the back way either! Come out through this way! I wanna see you when you leave! Don't go out the back.

VINCE:
(Off left.)
I won't!
(DODGE
turns and looks at
TILDEN
and

SHELLY.)

DODGE:
Untrustworthy. Probably drown himself if he went out the back. Fall right in a hole. I'd never get my bottle.

SHELLY:
I wouldn't worry about Vince. He can take care of himself.

DODGE:
Oh he can, huh? Independent,
(VINCE
comes on again from left with two dollars in his hand. He crosses right past
DODGE.
To
VINCE.)
You got the money?

VINCE:
Yeah. Two bucks.

DODGE
: Two bucks. Two bucks is two bucks. Don't sneer.

VINCE:
What kind do you want for two bucks?

DODGE:
Whiskey! Gold Star Sour Mash. Use your own discretion.

VINCE:
Okay.

DODGE:
Nothin’ fancy!
(VINCE
crosses to right door. Opens it. Stops when he hears
TILDEN.)

TILDEN:
(
To
VINCE.)
You drove all the way from New Mexico?

VINCE:
(From the porch.)
No, I—look—while I'm gone, try to remember who I am. Try real hard to remember. Use your imagination. It might suddenly come back to you. In a flash,
(VINCE
turns and looks at
TILDEN.
They stare at each other,
VINCE
shakes his head, goes out the door, crosses the porch, and exits out the screen door,
TILDEN
watches him go. Pause.)

TILDEN:
That's a long, lonely stretch of road. I've driven that stretch before and there's no end to it. You feel like you're going to fall right off into blackness.

SHELLY
: You really don't recognize him? Either one of you?
(TILDEN
turns again and stares at
SHELLY
‘s
HANDS AS SHE CUTS CARROTS.)

DODGE:
(Watching TV)
Recognize who?

SHELLY:
Vince.

DODGE:
What's to recognize?
(DODGE
lights a cigarette, coughs slightly, and stares at the TV)

SHELLY:
It'd be cruel if you recognized him and didn't tell him. Wouldn't be fair.

DODGE:
Cruel.

SHELLY:
Well, it would be. I mean it's not really possible, is it, that he's not related to you at all? Just a stranger? He seems so sure about it.
(DODGE
just stares at the TV, smoking.)

TILDEN:
I thought I recognized him. I thought I recognized something about him.

SHELLY
: You did?

TILDEN:
I thought I saw a face inside his face.

SHELLY:
Well, it was probably that you saw what he used to look like. You haven't seen him for six years.

TILDEN:
I haven't?

SHELLY:
That's what he says,
(TILDEN
moves around in front of her as she continues with the carrots.)

TILDEN:
Where was it I saw him last?

SHELLY:
I have no idea. I've only known him for a few months, myself. He doesn't tell me everything.

TILDEN:
He doesn't?

SHELLY:
Not stuff like that.